Following the Queenstown Classic in January, the New Zealand Chess Federation arranged for two of the overseas masters to help develop local talent. Indian GM Surya Ganguly and Brazilian IM Herman van Riemsdijk conducted coaching sessions with a group of leading New Zealand junior players and held simultaneous exhibitions in Auckland and Hamilton in January. Then in early February New Zealand's Junior Player of 2011, Zuhao Luke Li (14) played a four-game match against IM van Riemsdijk at the Auckland Chess Centre. After two well-fought draws, the International Master ground out endgame wins in the next two games to win the match 3-1.
Todays game is the second from the match in which Li, playing Black, had IM van Riemsdijk under strong pressure throughout.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 h6?!
Considered an inferior response to 6... a6 or 6...Bxg5 against White's last move - the French Defence Alekhine Attack. White's next prompts further weakening of Black's kingside and prepares queenside castling. 7.Qh5! g6 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Qe2 a6 10.h5?! g5!
White's premature thrust allows Black to close the kingside files, though he is in no hurry to place his king there. Instead he cracks on with his queenside counterplay. 11.Nf3 c5 12.dxc5 Nc6 13.O-O-O?! Nxc5?!
A trade of inaccuracies keeps the position level. By 13 Na4!? Nxc5 14 Nxc5 Qxc5 15 0-0-0 White could have traded his knight before it became a target for Black 's advancing pawns. Black's knight capture was weaker than 13...Qxc5, which would keep White tied to defending e5. 14.Nh2 ---
Targeting the weak f6 square, but the plan is quite slow. A good alternative is 14 Qe3 intending to develop the kingside pieces. 14.--- b5 15.Ng4 b4 16.Nb1 Bb7 17.Nf6+ Kf8 18.Nd2 Qc7 19.Nf3 b3! 20.cxb3 ---
Best. Not 20 axb3? Nxb3+! when 21 cxb3 loses the queen to 21...Nd4+ and 21 Kb1 Qa5! 22 cxb3 Nb4 is crushing eg. 23 Nd7+ Kg7 24 Nb6 Qa2+! 25 Kc1 Rac8+ 26 Nxc8 Rxc8+ 27 Kd2 Qxb2+ 28 K33 Rc3+ 29 Kd4 Nc2+ winning the queen. 20.--- Ne4 21.Kb1 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Nxf6 23.f3? ---
Defending the threat of 23...Ne4, but Black's advantage could have been kept to a minimum by 23 Qe3! giving the kingide pieces some air. If then 23...Ne4? 24 Qd4! keeps the h8 rook out of the game. Black's next ties the white queen to defending e5 and c2 and renews the threat of Ne4. 23.--- Rc8 24.Nd3 Kg7 25.Qd2 e5!
Adding a mobile pawn centre to his assets. 26.Nb4 a5 27.Nc2 d4 28.Bd3 Rhe8
Supporting the wrong pawn. After 28...Rhd8 29 Rc1 e4! Black wins after either 30 Nxd4? Qd7 or 30 Na3?! Qg3 31 fxe4 Nxe4 32 Bxe4 Bxe4+ 33 Ka1 Qe3 and after 30 fxe4 Nxe4 31 Qe1 Qf4 has a dominating position. 29.Rc1 Qb6 30.Na3 Nd5
Relieving the h1 rook of defensive duties. More to the point seems 30...Rxc1+ either winning the c-file or the h-pawn. 31.Nc4 Qf6 32.Be4 a4 33.Na5 Ba8 34.bxa4 Qb6 35.Nc4 Qe6 36.Rhe1?! Nc3+!
White's slip after solid defence allows Black to renew his advantage, which had begun to ebb. 37.bxc3 Rxc4 38.cxd4 Bxe4+
Black heads for the draw. Despite his pawn minus, Black is still better due to the exposed white king, but his own king's position makes it difficult to win. E.g. 38...Rxd4 39 Qc2 Bxe4 40 Rxe4 Qd6 41 Rxd4 Qxd4 42 Qb3 Re6! 43 a5 Qd2 44 Rc7! Rf6 45 Qb5 Qxg2 46 Rxf7+! forcing perpetual check. 39.Rxe4 Qb6+ 40.Ka1 Rxd4 Draw Agreed
Junior development after Queenstown event
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
Following the Queenstown Classic in January, the New Zealand Chess Federation arranged for two of the overseas masters to help develop local talent. Indian GM Surya Ganguly and Brazilian IM Herman van Riemsdijk conducted coaching sessions with a group of leading New Zealand junior players and held simultaneous exhibitions in Auckland and Hamilton in January. Then in early February New Zealand's Junior Player of 2011, Zuhao Luke Li (14) played a four-game match against IM van Riemsdijk at the Auckland Chess Centre. After two well-fought draws, the International Master ground out endgame wins in the next two games to win the match 3-1.
Todays game is the second from the match in which Li, playing Black, had IM van Riemsdijk under strong pressure throughout.
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Bg5 Be7
5.e5 Nfd7
6.h4 h6?!
Considered an inferior response to 6... a6 or 6...Bxg5 against White's last move - the French Defence Alekhine Attack. White's next prompts further weakening of Black's kingside and prepares queenside castling.
7.Qh5! g6
8.Bxe7 Qxe7
9.Qe2 a6
10.h5?! g5!
White's premature thrust allows Black to close the kingside files, though he is in no hurry to place his king there. Instead he cracks on with his queenside counterplay.
11.Nf3 c5
12.dxc5 Nc6
13.O-O-O?! Nxc5?!
A trade of inaccuracies keeps the position level. By 13 Na4!? Nxc5 14 Nxc5 Qxc5 15 0-0-0 White could have traded his knight before it became a target for Black 's advancing pawns. Black's knight capture was weaker than 13...Qxc5, which would keep White tied to defending e5.
14.Nh2 ---
Targeting the weak f6 square, but the plan is quite slow. A good alternative is 14 Qe3 intending to develop the kingside pieces.
14.--- b5
15.Ng4 b4
16.Nb1 Bb7
17.Nf6+ Kf8
18.Nd2 Qc7
19.Nf3 b3!
20.cxb3 ---
Best. Not 20 axb3? Nxb3+! when 21 cxb3 loses the queen to 21...Nd4+ and 21 Kb1 Qa5! 22 cxb3 Nb4 is crushing eg. 23 Nd7+ Kg7 24 Nb6 Qa2+! 25 Kc1 Rac8+ 26 Nxc8 Rxc8+ 27 Kd2 Qxb2+ 28 K33 Rc3+ 29 Kd4 Nc2+ winning the queen.
20.--- Ne4
21.Kb1 Nxe5
22.Nxe5 Nxf6
23.f3? ---
Defending the threat of 23...Ne4, but Black's advantage could have been kept to a minimum by 23 Qe3! giving the kingide pieces some air. If then 23...Ne4? 24 Qd4! keeps the h8 rook out of the game. Black's next ties the white queen to defending e5 and c2 and renews the threat of Ne4.
23.--- Rc8
24.Nd3 Kg7
25.Qd2 e5!
Adding a mobile pawn centre to his assets.
26.Nb4 a5
27.Nc2 d4
28.Bd3 Rhe8
Supporting the wrong pawn. After 28...Rhd8 29 Rc1 e4! Black wins after either 30 Nxd4? Qd7 or 30 Na3?! Qg3 31 fxe4 Nxe4 32 Bxe4 Bxe4+ 33 Ka1 Qe3 and after 30 fxe4 Nxe4 31 Qe1 Qf4 has a dominating position.
29.Rc1 Qb6
30.Na3 Nd5
Relieving the h1 rook of defensive duties. More to the point seems 30...Rxc1+ either winning the c-file or the h-pawn.
31.Nc4 Qf6
32.Be4 a4
33.Na5 Ba8
34.bxa4 Qb6
35.Nc4 Qe6
36.Rhe1?! Nc3+!
White's slip after solid defence allows Black to renew his advantage, which had begun to ebb.
37.bxc3 Rxc4
38.cxd4 Bxe4+
Black heads for the draw. Despite his pawn minus, Black is still better due to the exposed white king, but his own king's position makes it difficult to win. E.g. 38...Rxd4 39 Qc2 Bxe4 40 Rxe4 Qd6 41 Rxd4 Qxd4 42 Qb3 Re6! 43 a5 Qd2 44 Rc7! Rf6 45 Qb5 Qxg2 46 Rxf7+! forcing perpetual check.
39.Rxe4 Qb6+
40.Ka1 Rxd4
Draw Agreed
1/2-1/2
Solution: 1 Qh8+ Kg5 2 Qg7+ Kxh5 3 Bf7+! Qxf7 4 g4#.